Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich, convicted to two years of a suspended sentence, has sued her former lawyer Violetta Volkova for a 2 million rubles award for non-pecuniary damages.

Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich, convicted to two years of a suspended sentence, has sued her former lawyer Violetta Volkova for a 2 million rubles ($60,000) award for non-pecuniary damages.

"On August 14, the Moscow region's Electrostal city court received the lawsuit filed in order to defend her honor and dignity and the award for non-pecuniary damages," the court's press office told Interfax.

The reason for the lawsuit is the publications of Volkova posted on the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) website and her private blogs, the press office said. "Samutsevich thinks that the lawyer is distributing incorrect and insulting information that negatively assesses her personality and discredits her honor and dignity on the Internet as well as in a written statement given to the qualifications commission of the bar association," the press office said.

Samutsevich demands retraction of all information and 2 million rubles ($60,000) as compensation for non-financial damages, the press office said. "The court has accepted the lawsuit for consideration. The judge has scheduled a preliminary court hearing on this civil lawsuit on September 18," a court employee said.

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Samutsevich has filed a complaint about her former defense lawyer with the bar association. Volkova told Interfax that her former client's lawsuit was another PR stunt.

"I think that this is ordinary PR, maybe her money is gone, maybe it is something else, however all of these actions will not improve Samutsevich' reputation. No one can discredit her more than she herself has," Volkova told Interfax on Tuesday.

The lawyer said she would attend the court hearing.

"Of course, I will come, I am curious what Samutsevich will say and why she evaluates herself so highly," Volkova said.